Werrington

 Werrington Lake Reserve

On Good Friday, after lunch, we took a short drive to the Werrington Lake Reserve.  It is not far from our new home and we were thrilled to discover this delightful little Wetland Reserve which is a haven for the local native wetland birdlife and fauna and flora.  It is a man-made Lake developed in the 1980's as a solution to the flooding problem of the Werrington Creek.  It is a perfect spot for a family picnic with large open spaces, barbecue and toilet facilities, outdoor gym equipment and bicycle and walking tracks.  There is also a shaded children's playground with swings, climbing equipment, fireman's pole, monkey bars, spring rockers and a slide and water jets where children can cool off in the summer.

Penrith City Council has constructed the walkways, bridges, wharves, playgrounds and landscaped  around the vast complex.  It is an ideal place for students undertaking wetland and water conservation studies, but it is also a great recreational area with many picnic tables and seats dotted throughout the parklands. The Lake is used as a wetland to filter stormwater before entering the Werrington Creek  and it is also used for irrigation of the nearby cricket ground to the west and surrounding parklands.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and plenty of people were out and about enjoying being outdoors on the first day of the Easter holiday weekend.

We set off on the walking track around the Lake, admiring the beautiful scenery and water views, stopping every now and then to photograph the birds and wildlife.  There were plenty of seats at intervals along the track where we could take a rest.

The Lake is surrounded by tall gum trees and small native bushes, although I did notice a lot of weed infestation.  We saw ducks and other birds feeding and playing around the shores.  There are fountains of water spurting up in the Lake and a little island in the centre which adds to the visual appeal.

We saw this Eastern Water Dragon basking in the sun beside the path.  They are native to Eastern Australia.  They have long powerful limbs and claws for climbing.  They are able to swim totally submerged and rest on the bottom of shallow creeks or lakes for up to 90 minutes to avoid detection.   Their tails comprise about two-thirds of their total length.

There were lots of water birds resting on the little island.  The birds are relatively safe on the Island, free from most predators.  Human contact is not possible on the Island, save maybe from someone swimming over there!

A group of Ibis birds on rocks by the Lake's edge.  We saw many Ibis and we also saw some roosting in the trees on the little Island in the middle of the Lake.  The Ibis has adapted to changes in its' environment and they can now happily live in the city and suburban surroundings.  They have a reputation for raiding garbage bins for food.  

Now that we know about this place,  we shall certainly be making more visits in the future.  I am looking forward to coming back during the winter months and not on a public holiday when we can explore the place on our own.